Process of oxidizing liquid hydrocarbons



' No Drawing.

Patented Nov. El, 1922.

UNKTEPD STATES ERNST ZERNER, OE VIENNA, AUSTRIA.

PROCESS OF OXIDIZING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST ZERNER, a citizen of the Republic of Czecho-Slovakia, residing at Vienna, Austria, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Oxidizing Liquid Hydrocarbons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the process of oxidizing liquid hydrocarbons by treating them with an oxygen-containing gas as has already been suggested for oxidizing parafiin, this treatment being known as blowing.

The application of the experiences gathered in blowing parafiin to the oxidation of liquid hydrocarbons for instance the distillation products of rock oil or petroleum meets with considerable difficulties. In the first place higher temperatures are required for this reaction than the blowing of molten paraffin which results in the formation of less valuable products. Further the fatty acids thus produced and more particularly the soaps produced therefrom possess an objectionable smell which is imparted to and strongly retained by the goods and even by the human skin washed with such soap.

According to my invention the liquid hydrocarbons. are refined, prior to )lowing them with air or oxygen, withliquefied sulphurous acid, in a manner somewhat r'esembling the well known refining process of Edeleanu but contradistinguished from this latter process in that the treatment with sulphurous acid is much more intense and is continued until at least all of the unsaturated hydrocarbons and compounds present in the raw material are taken up by the sulhurous acid. The hydrocarbons thus refined readily oxidize under the action of air or oxygen and the blowing of liquid hydrocarbons thus refined may be eii'ected without any difficulties and very satisfactorily even in the presence of an agent having basic properties. Heretoforethe presence of the said substances impeded the reaction to such an extent that even at very high temperatures onl a very small output could be obtained so t at it was erroneously believed that the presence of alkaline :substances ractieally prevents the oxidation.

The deleanu refining process having had for its main object to obtain products withstanding almost absolutely any action of air it could by no means be expected that by continuing this refining process as above Application filed January 21, 1922. Serial No. 530,931.

The following is an example of carrying into practice the present process:

100 parts by weight of raw gas oil are extracted in a closed vessel by a continuous current of liquefied sulphurous acid caused to flow through the oil for a period of about 15 hours at about a temperature of 25 C. 60", of the raw oil are dissolved. The undissolved remainder of the oil is first freed from the sulphurous acid retained by it by distillation and then air or oxygen is blown therethrough in the presence of substances having basic properties, preferably of slaked lime.

I claim:

1. A process for oxidizing liquid hydrocarbons consisting in dissolving all the unsaturated compounds contained therein byliquefied sulphurous acid, evaporating the sulphurous acid contained in the undis solved residue and blowing the residue thus refined with a current of an oxygen-contained gas. I

2. A process for oxidizing liquid hydrocarbons consisting in forcing therethrough a continuous current of liquefied sulphurous acid, until all the unsaturated compounds contained in the hydrocarbon are dissolved in such acid, evaporating the sulphurous acid contained in the undissolved residue and blowing the residue thus refined with a current of oxygen containing gas.

3. A process for oxidizing liquid hydrocarbons consisting in forcing therethrough a continuous current of liquefied sulphurous acid, until all the unsaturated compounds contained in the hydrocarbon are dissolved in such acid, evaporating the sulphurous acid contained in the undissolved residue and blowing the residue thus refined with air.

4. A process for oxidizing liquid hydrocarbons consisting in dissolving all the unsaturated compounds contained therein by liquefied sulphurous acid, evaporating the sulphurous acid contained in the undissolved residue and blowing the residue thus refined with a current of an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of an agent possessing basic properties.

5. A process for oxidizing liquid hydrocarbons consisting in dissolving all the unsaturated compounds contained therein by -liquefied sulphurous acid, evaporating the sulphurous acid contained in the undissolved residue and blowing the residue thus refined with a current of an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of slaked lime.

6. A process for oxidizing liquid hydrocarbons consisting in dissolving all the unsaturated compounds contained therein by liquefied sulphurous acid, evaporating the sulphurous' acid contained in the undissolved residue and blowing the residue thus refined with a current of air;

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNST ZEERNER.

Witnesses:

RICHARD QUINN, HANS WINTERMIL. 

